Let's talk about mammograms and Pap tests

This has been quite a week for women's health. First a prestigious medical panel tells us that for most women, mammograms can be put off until age 50, rather than 40, and can be repeated every-other-year, rather than the annual ritual many of us have been following.

Then another prestigious medical panel says Pap tests, which catch cervical cancer at its earliest stages, can be done every other year until age 30, and every three years after that.

We have a lot of questions about all this, and figure you do, too, and so we've invited Dr. Jennifer Gilby (pictured above), an ob/gyn at Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg, to join us for a live chat here on the Personal Best blog, Monday at noon.

We'll field your questions about the screening tests, their advantages, their limitations, and how women can catch problems early -- and even better, help to prevent cancer from ever developing in the first place.

So, please join us Monday at noon. If you can't make it, please leave me your questions for Dr. Gilby in the comment area below, and check back later to see the transcript of the chat.

Charlotte Sutton, health and medicine editor

Pears are plentiful

Buy a bagful this weekend to take to work on Monday for snacks or leave out in plain view at home. A medium pear (about 6 ounces) has about 100 calories, plus fiber and potassium. They're great fresh, diced and tossed in a salad, poached in wine, or baked to perfection.

Irene Maher, Staff Health Writer

Quit smoking

It's expensive. It stinks. It's bad for your health. It's bad for your loved ones. It's even bad for pets exposed to passive smoke. Quit or make a plan to quit smoking today during the 34th annual Great American Smokeout. Free help is available through the American Cancer Society.

Irene Maher, Staff Health Writer

New mammogram findings: What's next?

There's been a huge uproar over this week's findings by a government task force that most women don't need to start getting mammograms until age 50.

We've known for a long time that breast cancer -- the No. 2 cancer killer of American women -- is far more common in women over 50, and that screening tests for younger women aren't as accurate, and could mean a lot more exposure to false positives, radiation and anxiety than is warranted by the actual help the test can provide.

St. Petersburg Times reporter Letitia Stein recently reported on the shortcomings of mammograms as a screening tool, including this stunning statistic: You have to screen 1,000 women to save one life.

But this isn't just a scientific issue -- it's also a hot-button political topic. In fact, as this Washington Post story explains, a different panel of medical experts made the same recommendation years ago, but the subsequent political outcry -- including a unanimous vote by the U.S. Senate -- quickly squashed it.

Many opponents of the new recommendations fear that they are based in a desire to save money, although the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force  staunchly denies that cost was a factor in its review of more than 40 scientific studies of mammography. But there's no doubt mammograms are expensive. Sure, we've seen ads for $65 mammograms, but the real cost is significantly higher -- hundreds of dollars. Here's one expert who puts it closer to $1,000, if you count everything, including depreciation on the machines.

So, not surprisingly, a lot of people are saying this is all an effort to help insurance companies save money by not having to cover so many mammograms. This afternoon, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius stepped up to the microphone to assure us that nothing's changing in that regard.

“The task force has presented some new evidence for consideration but our policies remain unchanged,” she said. “Indeed, I would be very surprised if any private insurance company changed its mammography coverage decisions as a result of this action.”

Members of Congress already are decrying the new recommendations, with some hinting that they're tantamount to healthcare rationing.

What do you think?

Is the U.S. spending too much money on mammograms at the expense of other health priorities? Is every life saved by mammography so invaluable that it's just wrong to worry about the cost? Are American women getting a false sense of security every time they get their annual mammogram?

Let's talk about it.

Charlotte Sutton, health and medicine editor.

AP Photo of Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., center, flanked by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., left, and Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, to discuss the new mammogram guidelines.

Herbal remedy

Start an herb garden. Fresh herbs add flavor without fat and calories. Plus, gardening can be a fun, relaxing hobby, helping with stress management. Basil and rosemary are two easy plants to start with.

Irene Maher, Staff Health Writer

Report gives Florida an "F" for preterm births

Nearly 14 percent of Florida babies were born preterm, earning the Sunshine State an “F” in a national report released today.

 

The March of Dimes Premature Birth Report Card also included Florida’s rate of women who smoke (19.8 percent) and rate of women who are uninsured (27 percent), noting that decreases in those categories could help lower the state’s rate for preterm births, defined as births before 37 weeks gestation. Florida’s statistics remained nearly unchanged from last year’s report.

 

The report gave the U.S. a “D” grade for the second consecutive year. Of 4.3 million U.S. births in 2007, the most recent year for which statistics are available, 12.66 percent of births were preterm. The rate was 12.8 percent in 2006 and 11.64 percent in 2000, according to the National Vital Statistics Reports.

 

No state received an “A” grade. Vermont rated highest with a “B.”

 

The report was released to mark the 7^th Annual Prematurity Awareness Day today.

 

"Here in Florida we realize that we are lagging behind in preventing premature birth, and in fact, our prematurity problem is getting worse. We urgently need to take action to prevent more deaths and disabilities," John Hadden, March of Dimes Florida chapter chair, said in a news release.

 

The report calls preterm births a serious health problem that costs the U.S. more than $26 billion annually. It also notes that preterm births are the leading cause of newborn deaths, and that babies who survive preterm births often are at greater risk for health challenges in their lifetimes, including breathing problems and mental retardation.

 

Richard Martin, Times Staff Writer

Don't forget to work out your brain

Find a new mind teaser and spend at least 15 minutes a day giving your brain a work out. It must be something new and challenging, not something you're already good at. This is National Memory Screening Day, part of National Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month.

Irene Maher, Staff Health Writer

Schedule some fun

Make a date to go bowling. No, it's not aerobic, but it's more active than sitting on the sofa watching reruns. Besides, it's social and fun which helps fight depression, dementia and stress. If not bowling, walking or canoeing. The idea is to get up, get out and get connected.

Irene Maher, Staff Health Writer

Small steps to better health

Still not as physically active as you'd like? Start small. Today, walk to the corner and back. Tomorrow, walk for five minutes, then return, for a total of ten minutes. The next day walk for seven minutes, then return. Keep adding time and increasing your pace. Small steps lead to big benefits. 

Irene Maher, Staff Health Writer 

Diabetes Awareness

Find out if you are at risk for diabetes, a leading cause of heart disease, stroke, and disability. Click here to take a simple test. November is Diabetes Awareness Month.

Irene Maher, Staff Health Writer